Ma Olady won’t let anyone starve
Her teenage years were marked by pain and, sometimes, nights in scrapyards, but Mamkuki Mokoena has risen with purpose, determined to ensure that no child or addict in her care ever endures what she did.
Some missions carry more weight because they remind their bearers of a dark time in their lives.
For Mamkuki Mokoena, her long-standing mission to care for abandoned children and drug addicts stems from a deeply moving personal experience.
At just 13 years old, she moved into a flat in Alexandra, and she recalls every bit of that defeating experience as if it were yesterday. The hassles of occupying a vacant flat, the hunger, and the discomfort of the box she used for a bed.
Read more: Human rights walk in Alexandra aims to unite the divided community
On Wednesday, tears quickly welled up in her eyes as she reflected on the reason why she started the Ulwazifefe Home Caring non-profit organisation a decade ago. “I got into the flat when I was 13. I used to sleep on a cardboard box. Sometimes I would sleep at a scrapyard. That is why I don’t want my hustlers [substance users] to suffer.”
Now, she has turned that pain into a mission to give abandoned children a bright future, and drug addicts a second chance at life. 13 children have already been under her care, and she noted with pride that one of them is now pursuing a law qualification at the University of the Free State.
“Even now, all my children do not attend school here in Alexandra, but in neighbouring communities. I want them to experience a better life, like any child with both a mother and a father.”
Every day, scores of addicts rely on her food. While some may not have shelter, she ensures that wherever they sleep, it is with a full stomach. Her big heart has earned her the nickname ‘Ma Olady’ among substance abusers, and has made her a go-to person for help.
Also read: Alexandra soup kitchen makes Sassa queue a little easier
She said sometimes drug addicts who are fed up with the street life come to her and express their tiredness and willingness to embark on a journey of recovery. “Whoever wants to go to rehab would tell me. I am working together with SANCA. So, I would ask them to assess him, then organise space for him.”
Though her past wounds linger like shadows in the dark, her work shines as a beacon of hope for countless people in the community.
To the children she shelters and the addicts she feeds, she is more than Mamkuki Mokoena, she is Ma Olady, a mother, not only to 13 children, but to over 200 souls who find love and sustenance at her flat on 11th Avenue every day.
Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
